Opening device for cardboard boxes



Jan. 17, 1939. R, RAIG ET AL 2,143,940

OPENING DEVICE FOR CARDBOARD BOXES Filed Dec. 11, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVE NTORS H0522! Graig warge flanuifon Edwards ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 17, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OPENING DEVICE FOR CARDBOARD BOXES Application December 11, 1936, Serial No. 115,310 In Great Britain December 20, 1935 6 Claims.

This invention consists in improvements in or relating to opening devices for cardboard boxes of the kind (hereinafter referred to as the kind described) in which an end closure iseffected by means of hinged fiaps. formed by extensions of the side walls of the box. Opening devices for cardboard boxes of the kind described are already known (see British specification No. 404,026) in which a cutter-cord is secured within the end closure of the box, the arrangement being such that after the box has been opened by operation of the cutter-cord it is possible to form a pouring orifice by pressing between finger and thumb the sides of the box so that the slit made by the tape opens out. It is an object of the present invention to provide in a combination of the kind described means whereby the pouring orifice is formed simultaneously with the operation of the cutter-cord.

With this object in view the invention consists in a cardboard box ofthe kind described and having a cutter cord located between two of the end closure flaps, characterized in that the flap or flaps underlying the cutter-cord is, or are, perforated or cut away over the whole or part of the area normally covered by the cord so that when the box has been opened by operation of the cord a pouring orifice (or orifices) bounded by the edges of the flap or flaps at the perforated or cut-away portions or by the edges and the adjacent side of the box is provided.

Some specific examples of the invention as applied to a cardboard box of oblong cross-section will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:--

Figure 1 is a perspective'view showing the box open at the top ready to receive its contents;

Figure 2 is a similar view showing the short end flaps and one of the side flaps closed;

Figure 3 shows the top of the box completely closed with the cutter-cord secured in position;

Figure'4 shows the appearance of the box during the operation of the cutter-cord and the orifice which has been produced by that operation;

Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 1 of a modified form of box, and

granular, fiakyor like material. After the box is filled, the mouth is closed by folding in the two shorter opposite end flaps l and 2, these flaps when folded lying in the same plane with a gap between their ends. One of the longer side flaps 3 is then folded over and secured by adhesive to the flaps I and 2. This flap 3 is cut away along its free edge as shown at 4 for a length equal to (or less than) the gap between the ends of the flaps l and 2. This cut-away portion has a width (e. g. about one-quarter inch) approximating to the width of the tape which is to be employed as the cutter-cord. This tape 5 is next laid over the flap 1 covering the cut-away DOrtion, and at a position close to the hinge of the second long flap 6. The tape extends along the whole length of the top of the box and projects a short distance beyond the edge of the box so as to provide a tag which can readily be gripped by the fingers. The flap 6 is then folded over and is secured to the flap 3 and also to the tape 5 by adhesive. The flap 6 has a short cut or is scored or otherwise weakened for a short distance (e. g. about one-quarter inch long) at the point I at the end of the flap adjacent to the tag and lying over the edge of the tape remote from the hinge of the flap. When it is desired to open the box the tag end of the tape is pulled back along its line of anchorage with the result that the strip of the flap 6 overlying the tape is torn off the top of the box togetherwith the tape, leaving a convenient pouring orifice 8, as shown in Figure 4. This orifice is formed by the edges of the flap 3 around the cut-away portion 4 and the top edge of the adjacent side 8 of the box. The cut or the like I ensures that the tear in the flap 6 will start at the right place and if it is desired to ensure that the flap may be torn easily and that the tear will continue in the right direction, the cut may be continued along the length of the fiap in a line overlying the edge of the tape in the form of scoring or partial cutting. Similar cuts or scorings may be made along the hinge of the flap with the side 9 of the box.

When the flaps first folded over overlap one another or when the gap between them is not wide enough to allow of a pouring orifice of sumcient length between their edges (as would be the case for example if the box is of approximately square cross-section) that portion of one or bothof the flaps which will underlie the free edge of the flap next folded may be cut away either wholly or, as is to be preferred, for an amount less than the length of the flap so as to provide an aperture which will rwister with the cut-away portion of the next flap to be folded.

In the modified form of the invention shown in Figures 5 and 6, the flap 3 instead or being cut away at the edge to provide a single pouring slot is perforated as shown at it! with four holes of suitable size and shape through which,

when the cutter-cord has been pulled back, the

contents may be sprinkled. In this example the perforations iii are located centrally of the flap 3 and the cutter-cord is located above the perforations, underneath the flap d, and is kept in position by adhesive. This arrangement has the advantages that better adhesion between the flaps may be obtained along the edges of the flaps when efiecting the closure oi the box and also that the edge of the box is not weakeneddue to the orifice being formed closely adjacent to the edge. Preferably the flap 6 in this arrangement is scored or perforated along both edges of the cord or tape to ensure that the desired portion of the flap is removed by the cord or tape.

The portion of the flap or flaps underlying the tape may, in either of the above examples, be provided with a single hole or a plurality of holes arranged in one or more rows over the whole or part of the area normally covered by the tape.

We claim:

l. A cardboard box having at least two hinged flaps formed by extensions of the side walls of the box and arranged for superposition to effect an end closure for the box; in combination with a cutter cord located between the outermost and an adjacent underlying end closure flap, the flap underlying the cutter cord being cut-away over at least a part of the area normally covered by the cord whereby operation of the cord exposes a pouring opening bounded by the edges of the flap at the cut-away portions.

2. A cardboard box having at least two hinged flaps formed by extensions of the side walls of the box and arranged for superposition to effect an end closure for the box; in combination with a cutter cord located between the outermost and an adjacent underlying end closure flap, the flap underlying the cutter cord being perforated over at least apart of the area normally covered by the cord whereby operation of the cord exposes a 3. A cardboard b0 having at least two hinged aide lurality of pouring orifices.

,MO flaps formed by extensions of the side walls of the box and arranged ior superposition to eifeet an end closure for the box; in combination with a cutter cord located between the outermost and an adjacent underlying end closure flap, the flap underlying the cutter cord being cut away at its edge over at least part of the area normally covered by the cord whereby operation of the cord exposes a pouring orifice bounded by the edges of the flap at the cutaway portion and by the adjacent side of the box.

4. A cardboard box having four hinged flaps formed by extensions of the side walls of the box, two opposed flaps lying in the same plane with a gap between their ends, and the other two exposed flaps superposed one on the other over the first two flaps to form an end closure; in combination with a cutter cord lying between the said other two opposed flaps, and a pouring opening normally covered by the cord in the innermost of the said other flaps and communicating with the gap, whereby operation of the cord exposes the pouring opening.

5. A cardboard box having at least two hinged flaps formed by extensions of the side walls of the box and arranged for superposition to effect an end closure for the box; in combination with a cutter cord beneath and in contact with the outermost end closure flap, means in the outermost closure flap for ensuring that the flap tears in the desired direction when the cord is operated, a flap underlying the cutter cord and a pouring opening in the underlying flap normally covered by the cord, whereby operation of the cutter cord exposes the pouring opening.

6. A cardboard box having at least two hinged flaps formed by extensions of the side walls of the box and arranged for superposition to er"- iect an end closure for the box; in combination with a cutter cord between the outermost and an adjacent end closure flap and extending along a zone spaced away from the sides of the box to which the flaps are hinged, the flap underlying the cutter cord being cut away over at least a part of the area normally covered by the cord, whereby upon operation of the cutter cord a portion of the outermost flap is removed and a pouring orifice bounded by the edges of the flap at the cut-away portions is exposed.

ROBERT CRAIG. GEORGE TON EDWARDS. 

